The Portland daily press., 1887-02-04
TIE BIGGEST TELESCOPE.
What Astronomers Expect From the
Lick Observatory Colossus.
Sunday SUM-

The approaching completion Of the colossal
telescope Of the Lick observatory In Califor-
mia lends interest to the question, How pow
erful win this telescope giant be? The Lick
telescope is TO be by far the largest reflector
in the world Naval observatory in Wash
ington win be interested to know that the
Californian giant viii survey the sky with
an eye ten inches broader than that Of the
great star gazer at the capital. The pupil Of
the human eye would have TO be enlarged to
diameter Of three feet In order 10 collect as
much light as win fall upon the wonderful
object glass Of the Lick telescope. AS the
average diameter Of the pupil Of the eye Is
about One-ifth Of an inch, 1t followed that
man who eye was large enough to equal the
great telescope In lightgrasping power
would be about one thousand feet tall. The
Statue Of Liberty would serve him for a cigar
lighter, II hung up where he could conyen-
iently reach It. So much Tor the power OF the
Lick wonder to gather starlight The mag
nifying power Is another thing, though Ii de-
pends directly upon the amOu0t OF light that
the telescope can asp. An ordinary opera
glass magnihes two and a half or, at the most
three diameters. Let any one recall how ef-
fectiye even so low magnlfying power as
that Is when applied TO persons and objects
upon distant stage, and then he will at once
perceive the significance Of the statement that
the smallest astronomical telescope VIII bear
a magnifying power Of two OF three hundred
diameters. The relation between the mag
nifylng power Of an optical Instrument, reck-
Oned by diameters, and the apparent dis
tance Of the object looked at Is very simple.
If an opera glass magnihes three diameters,
II shows objects as they would appear at only
One-third Of their real distance from the eye,e
So a telescope magnifying 200 diamsterS
would show man a mile away as u he were
sfan6fpn xUfthfp oh fp Al " AZ fAn
observer But only telescopes constructed
for astronomical purposes will stand magni-
flying powers like that, and moreover, In con-
sequence Of the impurity and unsteadiness
of the air near the earth, and the lack Of IL
Elimination Of terrestrial objects, the imge In
such a case wOald be more or less blurred and
indistinct. The same power, 200 dlameters,
applied to the moon, brings II within an APP
parent distance ot about loo miles, and
shows distinctly the extinct craters, empty
bottoms, and ragged mountain ranges Of our
satellite
Now as to the magnifyIng power Of the
Lick telescope Ithas been found that when
the most skilful opticians have done tlscfr
best IN making telescopic obieet giass, u
will bear uador rfaroraDlo-ovuulLt0ns, and Tor
certain purposes, magnlfying power OF one
hundred dameteTs for each inch Of its own
diameter. The object glass Of the Lick tele-
scope is thirty-six inches across therefore II
should be able to stand power OF 5000 di-
ameters, but only under the nnest conditions.
Such a power applied to the moon would
bring ii, when nearest to the earth, within an
apparent distance Of a little above sixty
miles. Under the most favorable circum-
stances, an object upon the moon as large as
ST. Patrick's cathedral could probably be
seen with such power as white speek.
But ordinarily power only one-half or
| one-third as great as that could be used with
| advantage. So, as far as the ability OF the
great telescope to reveal them Is concerned,
the moon might be swarming with inha0it-
| ants who would still remain out Of the reach
| Of cur eyes But If cities or other great art
| lfeial works existed there they would doubt
/ less be clearly distinguishable. and should,
| In fact, long ago have been perceived with
| telescopes much smaller than the Colossus
| Of Mount Hamilton. The new telescope can,
| then, only be expected 10 add little more
| evidence t0 the proof that the moon Is an ex-
| tinet planet, n world Of desolation, where all
the great creative forces have ceased to Oper-
ate and nature seems to have reached the END
Of her tether.
But with the planets the case is different
Recent observations have shown the exis-
| tence Of enigmatlc featuree on Mars, upon
which the Lick telescope may be able 70
| throw much light Its great size Is not the
| only advantage il viii possess. Being placed
| upon a mountain top II will be above the
/ denser and more impure portion OF the at
/ mOspheTe, which Is source OF perpetual and
| uncOnquerable difficulty 10 astronomers
i whose telescopes are situated at lower levels.
/ Then the atmosphere Of the Pacific coast
i appears 10 be exceedingly clear and steady,
/ SO that an enormous advantage Is gained IN
| that respect. Here in the east. and In Eng
| land and most parts Of Europe an aStrO-
| nOmer Is lucky II he finds a dozen or even
| half dozen nights IN year when the at
| mospheric conditions are good enough 20 per-
| init the use Of the highest powers OF his tele-
scope. Observations taken on Mount Ham
iiton, the site Of the Lick telescope, show that
as many as 250 nights In year may be ex-
/ pected to furnish such opportunities for hrst
| class work. With such advantages the great
telescope should largely increase our knowl-
i edge Of the huge planet Jupiter, and OF the
| changes going on there which clearly indicate
| that Il is an orb that Is now in the act Of
/ transformation from a sun into a world.
/ With respect TO the fixed stars. or other
suns than ours, the LICK glass VIII readily
i prove its superiority on account Of It's enor-
nous light-grasping, or, as II is called, space
! penetrating power
This seine property, together with the ex
ceptionally excellent atmospheric conditions
amid which il II situated, will enable II TO re-
veal new wonders among the nebue, those
stOrehOuses Of the raw material Of the uni
| verse whose known number Is constantly be-
ing increased BY modern observers. brief
account Of what has recently been seen with
the telescope Of thirty inches aperture lately
mounted at PultOwa. In Russia. win give an
idea Of what may be expected from the still
larger telescope To be set up on Mount Ham
iltOn
| Eutiil hllt NOnSSWt WAS turned upon ln5 utD
ula that IS visible In the great trapesium Of o
| riOn. .
The spectacle was verify one Of ineomaprabl'
beauty. In the center were seen six stars, four o
| which shOne more brilliantly than the others.
| surrounding this group was what seemed TN
| head Of some enormous animal whose gapini
mouth was outlined by the trapezium Of brigh
| stars. The greater portion OF the geld Of view
was strewn with tracts OF nebuous light, whlcl
| took the form Of spirals. making a striking con
trast with the dark regions, All was studdes
with numerous stars, which seemed 70 add an e.
ement Of life 10 an ensemble that no pencil coui
depict
The Lick telescope should enable us q
penetrate still further into the mysteries o
this empire of chaos in Orion. IL Is 90 %
hoped that its unrivalled powers VIII also p'
rendered available for the work OF eeiestla
, | photography, for, as some recent achleNe
ments at the Paris observatory show, amonl
, the rays that great object glass collects ar
some that make no impression on the eye
j but printu upon Photographic plate the I'm
| ages OF strange phenomena In the heavens
, | existences OF an unseen universe--Oi WINS
presence we are otherwise unaware.